£60,000 and £72,000 per year - but that's in-house, right, so it's better?

If you’ve spent any time in business leadership, you’ll know that one of the trickiest balancing acts is handling health and safety responsibilities. It’s essential, legally required, business-critical—and often far more complex than many organisations first assume. Yet, despite recognising its importance, many companies still instinctively lean toward hiring a full-time, in-house Health and Safety Lead or Manager. It feels tidy, traditional, and familiar. But is it always the smartest financial or operational decision?

Let’s take a realistic look at what that in-house role actually costs—because the figure isn’t just the advertised salary. Not even close.

Right now, the typical salary for a competent, experienced in-house Health and Safety Lead or Manager falls somewhere between £60,000 and £72,000 per year. That’s the baseline. And that salary is usually just the start of the investment. When you break down the full true cost of employment—holiday pay, sick pay, pensions, onboarding, training, continued professional development, and employer National Insurance contributions—you’re looking at a much bigger number than most leaders want to admit.

Let’s break it down in a simple, human way. Nobody works 365 days a year. They need holidays. They’ll have the occasional sick day. They’ll take training. They’ll attend courses. They’ll need development to stay up to date with legislation. And when you add those factors to employer NI and a standard pension contribution, most business owners discover that their £60,000–£72,000 hire is quietly costing them more like £80,000–£95,000 annually—if not more.

That’s before you buy them a laptop, phone, software, travel expenses, membership fees, or PPE. And let’s not pretend the world of health and safety stands still for long. Regulations change, standards evolve, industry guidance tightens, and suddenly your in-house manager needs further qualifications, additional audits, or specialist input. It’s no secret that health and safety roles demand ongoing CPD, and that ongoing CPD demands ongoing cost.

Now, none of this is to say that in-house professionals aren’t valuable. They absolutely are. Many are exceptionally dedicated, passionate people who genuinely care about keeping workers safe and organisations compliant. But the truth is this: not every business needs a full-time health and safety professional on permanent payroll. And even the ones that do sometimes need wider, deeper, or more specialised support than a single individual can realistically offer.

This is exactly where outsourcing—or even partially outsourcing—your health and safety function becomes a much smarter, more flexible solution.

Imagine having the reassurance of expert-level advice, the consistency of reliable support, and the confidence that your business is operating safely and compliantly—without the mounting ongoing costs of a full-time hire. Outsourcing gives you access to a team’s worth of experience rather than relying on a single person. It gives you resilience, continuity, and specialist knowledge across multiple disciplines. And perhaps most importantly, it gives you scalability. Need more support for a major project? Done. Need less support during quieter periods? Easy.

One of the biggest misunderstandings in the business world is the idea that outsourcing is somehow a downgrade. As if leaning on external expertise is a backup plan or a compromise. In reality, outsourcing your health and safety to the right provider is often an upgrade. You’re not hiring a single manager—you’re hiring a partnership, a structure, a ready-made safety function. You’re getting auditors, trainers, advisors, strategists, risk assessors, and competent persons all rolled into one seamless service.

And this is where Bennett Business Partnerships comes in.

At Bennett Business Partnerships, we speak to leaders every week who feel stuck between two options: overspend on an in-house hire or underdeliver by spreading health and safety responsibilities across too many people who already have full workloads. But there’s a better third option: a dependable partner who can provide the right level of support, at the right time, for the right cost.

Our approach is simple: competent, practical, relationship-focused safety leadership delivered without the financial burden of a full-time salary. We don’t offer tick-box compliance or cookie-cutter templates. Instead, we work alongside businesses as a long-term partner, providing tailored support that aligns with their culture, risks, and operational reality. We offer everything from day-to-day advice to strategic planning, audits, investigations, policy development, contractor management, training, and more. And because we stay up to date with legislation, best practices, and industry developments, you benefit from a level of expertise that no single individual could realistically maintain on their own.

By outsourcing to Bennett Business Partnerships, you’re not just reducing cost—you’re reducing risk. You’re improving standards. You’re relieving pressure on your leadership team. And you’re gaining the peace of mind that your business is protected by professionals who genuinely care about people, culture, and sustainable safety performance.

Here’s the part many business owners don’t expect: outsourcing often improves efficiency and engagement, too. When employees see that health and safety are being handled proactively and professionally, confidence rises. When managers know they have an expert team to rely on, they collaborate more effectively. And when directors stop worrying about compliance gaps, they can focus on what they do best: leading the business.

So before you commit to that £60,000–£72,000 salary—before you add the pension, NI, holiday pay, and inevitable hidden costs—ask yourself a simple but important question: do you really need a full-time in-house Health and Safety Manager? Or do you need a competent, flexible, cost-effective partnership that delivers the same (or better) results without the financial strain?

If you’re serious about safety, serious about value, and serious about finding a smarter way to protect your people and your business, then it’s time to consider Bennett Business Partnerships. Your team deserves the best support, and your business deserves a solution that works intelligently—not expensively.

Let us take the pressure off your shoulders. Let us deliver the expertise so you can deliver your goals. Let us help you create a safer, more confident future—without the hidden costs of an in-house hire.